Compressor



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COMPRESSOR v Filed NOV. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Shed l INVENTOR. FRED A. LA NE,

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June 1943 F. A.- LANE 2,321,828

COMPRESSOR 7 Filed Nov. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FEED A. LANE 0 A TTOI? N 5 V5 Patented June 15, 1943' COMPRESSOR Fred A. Lane, Shelburn, Ind., assignor to Lane Motors Incorporated, Shelburn, Ind., a cornotation of Indiana Application November 24, 1941, Serial No. 420,245

(Cl. 7457) x g 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for converting rotary into reciprocating movement or vice versa.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a rotor in the form of a cylindrical cam preferably having a cam slot formed in its periphery adapted to cooperate with a reciprocating piston either for driving said piston from a source of power or for transmitting the power imparted to said piston to a power receiving source.

In the specific embodiment of the invention, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a rotary cam member for transmitting power from a suitable source to a reciprocating piston and driving said piston to cause said piston to operate as a fluid compressor either of air or liquid.

I have illustrated certain embodiments of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pump embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a follower at the end of a piston rod;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the follower illustrated ber;

Fig. is a diagrammatic view showing the cylindrical grouping about the axis of the rotor where it is desired to use more than one cylinder; and.

Fig. 11 is a developed view of a modified form of the type of rotor illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5,'

I provide a base I on which the various parts of the assembled structure are adapted to be mounted. On this base I, I provide a sub-base 2 which has formed as a part thereof a cylinder casting 3 having an open ended cylinder lining 4. Operating within this lining is a piston comprising the oppositely faced piston cups 5 and 6 spaced apart by a washer 'l and stiffened by oppositely disposed washers 8 and 9. This assembly is mounted upon a headed hollow thimble it being secured thereon by means of a threaded nut H. The cylinder casting 3 is provided with an intake I2 connected with a. suitable intake pipe l2 and with a discharge port l3 controlled by a spring seated valve I4. This discharge port discharges" into a chamber l5 formed by a hollow casting I6 secured on the cylinder casting 3. One end of.

r the cylindercasting 3 is closed by a threaded plug l1 and the opposite end by a threaded plug [8 which carries a packing l9 for the piston rod 20. The chamber l5 communicates through a port 2| controlled by-a spring-pressed valve 22 with a hydraulic head 23.

. A rotor 24 for imparting reciprocating motion to the piston is rotatably mounted within a hous- I This groove is so arranged as to impart a relatively slow compression stroke to the piston with a relatively fast returning stroke. To this end, the groove comprises a reach 34 which extends through 360 of rotation of the rotor. This reach merges into a reach 35 which crosses the reach 34 at an angle thereto and extends through 180 of the rotor. The reach 35 merges into a. reach 36 parallel with the reach 34 and extending through 360 of the rotor. This reach 36 merges into a reach 3! crossing the reach 34 and the reach 36 and extending at an angle to these reaches and extending throughout 180 of the. rotor. The reach 31, of course, eventually merges into the reach 34. Accordingly, this groove comprises a pair of reaches arranged in echelon and each extending through 360 of the rotor, which reaches are adapted to impart, what may be termed, the power stroke, to the piston; and, as a result, the angle of inclination of these reaches is comparatively low,

imparting to the piston a relatively slow powerful thrust. Likewise, thereis provided a pair of reaches crossing the first-mentioned reaches and each extending throughout 180 of rotor, the angle of inclination of which is accordingly comparatively sharp, giving to the piston a return stroke much more rapid than that given to the power stroke.

Operating within the cam groove of the rotor 24 is a follower 38 which is secured upon or forms a part of the end of the piston rod 20. The piston rod 20, at its end, is extended to provide a cylindrical boss 39 having disposed on either side thereof a pair of guide bosses 40. Each of these guide bosses has a central opening therein receiving a guide rod 4| which is bolted between,the head 25 and 26, serving not only to hold the heads together but also to act asguide rods for'the follower. By this arrangement, the follower head comprising the cylindrical member 39 i's-guided in its reciprocations. The enlarged cylinder 39 receives a pair of roller bearings 42 within which is mounted a rotary friction pin 43 having an enlarged end 44 projecting through a head 45 on the cylinder boss 39, and this head is provided with a rib 48, on its under face, which is slightly narrower in cross section than the pin portion 44. This rib, however, is of greater longitudinal extent than the width of the cam slots so that as the follower rib 46 follows through the cam slots and crosses over another cam slot, there will be no danger of the follower failing to track in its proper slot.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I have shown an improved form of compressor which embodies my invention and which reduces the number of parts for a compressor to the minimum. In this structure, I provide a compressor cylinder 41 having peripheral heat dissipating fins 4a. The rear end or this cylinder is enlarged to provide a casing or housing for the rotor. This housing is extended on either side, as at 49, to provide guide spaces and is extended at its top to provide acasing 50 for the follower. The rear end of the cylinder is closed by a head 5,! bolted to the casing by guide rod bolts 52 and 53 which extend through the head a and into the cylinder walls passing through the enlargements 49. Operating within the cylinder 4'! is a -compression piston 54 having an extension skirt 55 provided with laterally extending bosses 56 bored to receive the guide rods 52 and 53 whereby the piston will be held against rotation and will be guided in its reciprocating movement in the cylinder 41. The rotor 58 which is provided with a cam slot 59 similar to the cam slot illustrated in Fig. is mounted within the housing extension of the cylinder 41 and to this end, one end of the rotor is provided with a shaft 60 operating in a roller .bearing 6| mounted in a cup-like recess in the head 5| and provided with a thrust ballbearing 62 operating against an adjustable thrust nut 63 on the shaft 60. The opposite end of the rotor 58 is provided with an extension shaft 64 which is piloted-in a recessed end 65 of the piston 54, this recessed end being lined with a bearing lining 65, and the pilot shaft is provided with a spiral oil groove 61 to insure proper lubrication of this shaft as it operates within the recess 65.

The cylinder skirt 55 is provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical boss 58 adapted to receive ballbearing races 69 in which is mounted a pin having an enlarged head H which head extends through a follower 12 provided on its under face with a follower rib 13. The thickness of this rib is slightly less than the diameter of the head H and the longitudinal extent of the rib is greater than the width of 1 the cam slot 59 in the rotor so that the follower will track in the cam slot at the cross-over points.

The cylinder 41 is provided, at its end, with a suitable inlet valve connection" and an Outlet valve connection l5, and the rotor shaft 30 is adapted to be connected to and driven from an electric motor I6 connected to the rotor shaft through the medium of a suitable coupling I3. The cylinder extension housing is provided with a base 19 on which the same may rest and, of course, this base would be in the same horizontal plane as the base of the driving motor I6. In this structure, as in the pump heretofore described, a relatively long angled power stroke is imparted to the piston 54 while a relatively short angled return stroke is imparted thereto by the parallel crossing cam slots.

It is obvious that, if desired, the rotor may control or be controlled by the piston of more than one cylinder. In Fig. 10, I have illustrated diagrammatically the grouping of a plurality, three, of cylinders about the axis of a rotor so that the same rotor can be connected to the piston rods of each. In this diagrammatic view, the three cylinders A, B and C will be grouped about the rotor D. In each instance, of course, the piston of each cylinder would have a follower oper ating in the cam slot of the rotor.

In Fig. 11, I have shown a developed view of a modification of the rotor illustrated in Fig. 5. In some instances, particularly in rotors having a relatively small diameter, it is desirable that the crossing of the different reaches of the cam slot shall more nearly approach a right angle than is shown in the structure illustrated in Fig. 5. In some instances, it is desirable that all of the reaches be of substantially the same length. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the reaches 35' and 31', corresponding to reaches 35 and3'l in the structure illustrated in Fig. 5, merge into the other reaches with a more pronounced curve and, as a result, .these reaches cross reaches 34' and 36, likewise merging with a more pronounced curve more nearly at right angles. Therefore, the danger of the follower jumping out of the cam groove at the cross-over point is reduced to the minimum. Furthermore, it will be noted that each of the reaches is of the same length or extends around the cylinder the same number of degrees.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a guide, a slide reciprocable in said guide, a rotor associated with said Slide and having a continuous groove in its peripheral face extending three times around the rotor and including a pair of spiral reaches each extending approximately 360 of rotation of the rotor, and a pair of spiral reaches each extending substantially at right angles to said first-mentioned reaches and approximately 180 of the rotation of the rotor, each reach of each pair merging at its opposite ends in the reaches of the other pair,

and a rotor connection between said rotor and said slide operating in said groove.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a guide and a slide reciprocable in said guide, a rotor in the nature of a cylinder having a continuous groove in its peripheral face extending three times around the rotor and including a pair of spiral reaches each extending aproximately 360 of the rotation of the rotor and disposed in echelon, and a pair of spiral reaches crossing said first-mentioned reaches disposed in echelon each extending approximately 180 of the rotation of the rotor, and a rotor connection between said rotor and slide and operating in said groove.

3. In an apparatus of the character described,

in combination, a guide, a slide reciprocable in said' guide, a rotor in the nature of a cylinder having a continuous groove in its peripheral face extending a plurality of times around the rotor and including a pair of spiral reaches disposed in echelon, a second pair of reaches crossingsaid first-mentioned reaches and disposed in echelon and being of less peripheral extent than said first-mentioned reaches.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a guide, a slide reciprocable in said guide, a rotor in the nature of a cylinder having a continuous groove in its peripheral face extending a plurality of times around the rotor, said groove including a pair of reaches disposed in echelon,'and a pair of reaches disposed in echelon and shorter than said first-mentioned reaches, and a rotor connection between the rotor and slide and operating in said groove.

5. In an apparatus of the character described,

. in combination, a guide and a slide, a cylindrical cam rotor associated with .said slide for imparting forward and return motion to its follower in a plurality of revolutions of said cam, the forward imparting portion of said cam including a pair of reaches disposed in echelon and the return motion part of said cam including a pair of reaches shorter than said first-mentioned reaches crossing said first-mentioned reaches of bosses on said skirt sleeved on said supporting members, a rotor mounted in said housing having a cylindrical cam, a follower carried by said slide skirt cooperting with said cam for imparting re; ciprocating movement to said slide with respect to said guide, said cam having one end-journalled in the head of said housing and the other end journalled in said slide.

7. In an apparatus of the character described.

in combination, a cylindrical cam rotor having a cam surface extending a plurality of times about its axis and including a pair of cam portions disposed in echelon and a second pair of cam portions crossing said first-mentioned cam portions and disposed in echelon and having less extent than said first-mentioned portions.

8. In an apparatus of the character described,

in combination, a guide; a slide reciprocable in i said guide, a rotor in the nature of'a cylinder having a continuous groove in its peripheral face extending a plurality of times around the rotor, said groove including two pairs of reaches, the reaches of each pair being disposed in echelon, each reach of each pair merging at its opposite ends in the reaches of the other pair, and a rotor connection between said rotor and slide and opcrating in said groove.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a cylindrical cam rotor having a continuous extending cam portion extendinga plurality of times. about the axis thereof and including a pair of spiral reaches, each having a peripheral extent of approximately360 and disposed in echelon, and a pair of spiral reaches crossing said first-mentioned reaches, disposed in echelon and each having a peripheral extent of aproximately 180", each reach ofv each pair merging at its opposite endsv in the reaches of the other pair.

FRED A. LANE. 

